SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Six Sacramento middle school students flew to the nation’s capital on Friday for the presidential inauguration.

With smiles and waves, family members watched at Sacramento International Airport as their kids got ready to head to Washington, D.C.

Ruth Gilley, a history teacher at Martin Luther King Technology Academy, helped organize the trip and she was almost as excited as the students to be going.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our children,” she said. “This is something they’ll be able to tell their grandchildren later on in life. Honestly, it’s the highlight of my career as a teacher.”

“I’m just excited,” said one of the students, Zarayaah Wallace.

They’re not only going across the country to experience history, the students are also making history at their school. Up until now, learning has only happened in the classroom.

“This is our first trip from out of Sacramento,” Zarayaah said.

“There is absolutely no better way to reach students than to to show them why what they’re learning is applicable, and they’re going to the source,” parent Timbre Beck said.

In addition to President Obama’s inauguration Monday, Gilley said the students will visit the historical sites in Washington.